The Federation of the Icelandic Fishing Vessel Owners condemns the Marine Conservation Society’s decision to rate the Icelandic mackerel fisheries as least sustainable. According to the United nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the four coastal States, Iceland, the EU, the Faroe Islands and Norway, have the right to fish for mackerel. This, fishing of mackerel by Icelandic vessels in Icelandic waters is just as legitimate as is the fishing of mackerel by EU vessels in EU waters.

It is necessary to keep in mind that the migration pattern of the mackerel has changed with a substantial part of the stock feeding in Icelandic waters. Thus, a joint scientific survey conducted by Iceland, Norway and the Faroe Islands documented the presence of approx. 1.5 million tons of mackerel in Icelandic waters in 2012.

The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) have stated that increasing productivity of wild fish stocks has allowed an increase in the sustainable seafood harvest catch limits for a number of key species in the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (SESSF). The South East Trawl Fishery is part of the SESSF.

Catch limits for popular table fish such as flake and whiting have increased in the 2013/14 fishing season following scientific advice showing stocks are healthy and increased catches can be sustained.

The fishing season opened on 1 May 2013 with the total allowable catch limits increasing for 11 of 34 species, including Gummy Shark, Silver Trevally, Mirror Dory and School Whiting and catch limits for most other species remaining stable.

There will be a net increase in the aggregation of Total Allowable Catch (TAC) limits this season of more than 600 tonnes, which is great news for the fishing industry and seafood consumers. AFMA CEO Dr James Findlay said that this was a pleasing result with strict management and world leading science ensuring the sustainability of our fisheries for years to come.

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Researchers have found that the beam of a scanning electron microscope can turn a thin coating that occurs naturally on the larvae of some insects into a sort of miniature spacesuit that can keep the animals alive in a vacuum for up to an hour.

The researchers made their discovery while testing how long various animals could survive in a high vacuum while being imaged inside a scanning electron microscope. Most organisms to lose water rapidly in these conditions, leading to death by dehydration and physical distortion, but the larvae of the fruitfly Drosophila survived for 60 minutes and went on to develop normally after being returned to normal pressure.

Source: Next Big Future

The controversial practice of making fishermen discard millions of tonnes of fish caught over EU quotas could be phased out within years, the Agriculture Minister has said.

The measure was among a package of changes secured by Simon Coveney after 36 hours of negotiations with EU fisheries ministers.

Source: Sarah Stack / Independent

Minister for Fisheries and Ports K. Babu said here on Thursday 16 May that the trawling ban this year too would be for 47 days from midnight of 14 June to 31 July.

The Minister’s statement comes against the background of experts recommending ban for a longer period. Mr. Babu said the ban was being imposed to conserve fish resources as monsoon was the spawning season of many varieties of fish. The ban was also aimed at reducing accidents during the stormy season and maintaining peace at sea. The ban would not be in the way of traditional pelagic fishing.

Source: The Hindu

The Pacific ACP Trade Ministers Chair and Fiji’s Trade Minister Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum has called on the European Union not to use global sourcing as a bargaining tool to access fisheries resources in the region.

“Through global sourcing for the fisheries industry, the region will be able to pool its resources and enter into joint ventures to attract onshore investment and develop infrastructure.

This will allow all the countries of our region to share the benefits of our fisheries more equally.

Source: Pita Ligaiula / PINA

The Salmonid Council of Newfoundland and Labrador warns a recent escape of farmed salmon could cause problems with the wild Atlantic salmon population.

Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada officials confirmed this week that farmed salmon escaped from an aquaculture site in the Fortune Bay area, and have turned up in the Garnish River.

Council president Don Hutchens said it poses multiple threats to the wild salmon, such as potential interbreeding between wild and farmed salmon, and spreading of the infectious salmon anemia (ISA) virus.

Source: Yahoo News

Yarmouth County fish processor says it has incurred millions in costs as a result of an alleged breach of contract.

D’Eon Fisheries Ltd. of West Pubnico alleged in Nova Scotia Supreme Court documents filed Wednesday 15 May that defendants Scotia Harvest Seafoods Inc. of Digby and Marro Management Inc. of Lower West Pubnico breached a 2006 contract with the plaintiff.

According to court documents, the contract stipulated that “in consideration of D’Eon purchasing a USD 2-million state-of-the-art processing line and providing its silver hake quota to a vessel for the benefit of Scotia and Marro, Scotia and Marro would for a period of five years process the silver hake caught with D’Eon on the processing line and supply D’Eon with all of the groundfish necessary to operate the processing line.”
 

Source: Bruce Erskine / Herald Business

The Federal Government has been asked to support the fisheries industry to prevent it from imminent collapse.

During an interview with The Nation, the Chairman , Southsouth Chamber of Commerce, Dr Hyde Ochia, called for some mitigation measures to help fishermen out of their difficulties.He said the seafood sector has the potential to contribute to food security, employment and economic development.

According to him, fishery is an important source of income and animal protein for the domestic population.

Source: The Nation

As the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) closes its annual meeting on 17 May, WWF applauds the organization for adopting the first comprehensive management plan ever to guarantee the sustainable exploitation of key Mediterranean fish stocks.

“WWF congratulates the GFCM for adopting, for the first time ever, a management plan for a Mediterranean fishery, after repeated calls from scientists on the need to conserve Mediterranean stocks. The Mediterranean is one of the most overexploited seas globally, with 100 per cent of demersal fish stocks assessed as overfished. It was high time for such a decision to be adopted”, said Dr. Sergi Tudela, Head of the Fisheries Programme at WWF Mediterranean.